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Some debate on merits of fortified foods

Kathryn Roethel| on April 17, 2014

Fortified food is a growing business. Once restricted primarily to milk -- which adds vitamins A and D -- and orange juice -- with added calcium -- extra nutrients can be found in more unexpected places.

For example, animal crackers often come with added calcium, vitamin A can be found in toaster pastries and folate in pretzels and chips. And, of course, there's a debate over whether all these added nutrients are a good thing.

On one hand, a recent study of more than 7,000 children's diets revealed that without fortified foods, American youths would be a lot more nutrient deficient than they are. The study, published in January in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that fortified foods -- especially cereals, milk and bread products with enriched flours -- contributed at least half of children's daily vitamin D, thiamin and folate, and significant percentages of nine other vitamins and minerals.

Fortified and enriched foods are also popular with shoppers. The Institute of Food Technologists, a trade group in Chicago, estimates Americans spent $44 billion on them in 2012, and 60 percent of us eat them at least occasionally.

But critics, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are worried that consumers may choose fortified snacks over more nutritious whole foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts. In August, the FDA announced plans to study Americans' perceptions of nutrient claims on food packaging. The agency added it doesn't encourage fortification of foods like cookies, candies and carbonated beverages. A federal class-action lawsuit alleges Coca-Cola's Vitaminwater, a sweetened beverage that contains added vitamins, violated FDA labeling rules by using the term "healthy" on some products.

The journal researchers concluded that, though fortified foods are helping children get their daily intakes of many nutrients, whenever possible, it's best to get vitamins and minerals from foods that have them naturally.